Smell of Cordite
by Prusak
Summary: Five years after Voldemort's death, and Antonin Dolohov has returned to his native Ukraine hoping to live a normal life. But when signs apear that the dark side is again growing stronger, will he be able to put his dark past behind him? My first story.
1. Five years later

It had been 5 years that day. Five years since that fateful confrontation in the Great Hall, in Hogwarts Castle. Antonin Dolohov could still remember it, that cannon-like blast as his master, the most powerful Dark Wizard of all time, Tom Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort, fell over dead, never to kill, torture, or cause any harm again. The war was over; the Boy-Who-Lived had triumphed over the Dark Lord. The time for fighting was over, the time for recovery and mourning had begun.

Of course, there were some wounds that did not heal easily. Dolohov sat, staring at the faded grey outline of the Dark Mark on his left forearm that had once been his connection with Voldemort. He remembered, bitterly, the pain of it burning, summoning him and his comrades to the Dark Lord's presence. He remembered being ordered, to torture and kill hapless Muggles and Muggle-Born wizards.

Oh sure, as a young fool, he believed in what he thought Voldemort's cause, believed that Muggles were inherently inferior, barbaric, weak, and primitive and should live only to serve Wizards, be kept downtrodden, much as Grindelwald had tried to do. But he never wished any harm to them, only to civilize them. And he never believed for an instant that Muggle-Born wizards were inferior, after all, they were still wizards; they had to have a witch or wizard in the family tree somewhere, for magic can only be inherited genetically.

But Dolohov had jumped at the opportunity to join the Death Eaters and bring about a new Wizarding Empire. Only later, did he realize that Voldemort was not the chivalrous warrior, heroic saviour of the Wizarding race that Dolohov had imagined, but a cold,sadistic killer that cared only for himself. But after he took the Dark Mark, there was no turning back. It was an eternity of service to Voldemort, or death, not only for himself, but also for..._her. I would not let him kill her_, he thought.

As if on cue, there came a knock on the door to the study, interrupting Antonin Dolohov's reminiscing.  
"Antonin, dinner's ready" came her voice. "Coming, Svetlana" he responded. As he opened the heavy door, there she stood, Svetlana Vladimirevna Dolohova. She narrowed her deep blue eyes, staring into Antonin's own light brown. "You were staring at it again, brooding over the past again." It wasn't a question. "No, no, I was..."

"Don't lie, Antonin Vasel'yevich! We've been married for almost five years now, and I have known you for almost our entire lives, I know when you're lying." She said. "I told you many times, you were young, foolish, and didn't know what you were getting into; I do not care the past. I love you for who you are". "But I have done so many...terrible things...." he muttered, almost as much to himself as to his lifelong love, Svetlana. "Once you took the Mark, there was no escape" she said, gazing deep into Antonin's eyes. His heart raced. _"Damn, how can she still do that?"_ he thought. "If you did not obey, he would kill you, and everyone you cared about. Remember what happened to **him**". There was no question of whom she meant be "him": Regulus Black, the only Death Eater to ever openly betray the Dark Lord, and the only one whom Antonin ever truly respected.

Antonin Dolohov decided there was no point in arguing, he couldn't win. He followed his wife to the dining room table and sat down to eat. Only then did a large owl swoop in on the meal, dropping on Dolohov's head a letter from the one man whom he'd hoped to never have to see or hear from again.


	2. The Confrontation

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Characters from Harry Potter (Dolohov, Malfoy, the Death Eaters, Voldemort, etc). All recognizable characters and locations belong to JK Rowling. Svetlana and other Original characters (not from Harry Potter) and locations belong to me._

_Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad some people like the story so far. It was slow to get this chapter up, as College is back in session._

"Malfoy!" thought Dolohov, as he read the letter that the owl had delivered, "What does that snivelling little coward want now?" Of all the Death Eaters, Antonin Dolohov thought that Lucius Malfoy was the worst, most pathetic excuse for a wizard he'd ever seen, except for maybe Peter Pettigrew. Always sucking up to the Dark Lord for extra, rarely leaving his masters side, more Hufflepuff than Slytherin, Malfoy was the definition of a brown-noser. And after the first War, he weaseled out of going to Azkaban by claiming the Imperius curse.

"_At least I had the eggs to admit I was a Death Eater" _Antonin thought to himself, _"unlike that coward. Imperius curse, yeah and I'm the Czar of All Russias. Then why were you the first to the graveyard when Voldemort was reborn? Why did you suck up to him for weeks until he agreed to make you Commander during the raids on the Ministry, which failed miserably? Spineless little..." _

"It's Malfoy, isn't it?" Svetlana's voice interrupted the rant in Antonin's head. Antonin could not help but notice the distinct disgust in her voice as she spoke the coward's name.

"Yes. He wants to speak to me..." Antonin replied. He knew full well how much his wife hated Malfoy, even more than Antonin did, it seemed at times. If she saw him, she would probably curse him into a thousand pieces before Malfoy could even speak two words. In fact, she did try to do just that, on one occasion.

"What could HE possible say to you?" Svetlana asked, the hatred evident in her voice. "Does he want to meet you here?"

"No. Away from Lviv. He suggested in Sirko Alley."

Svetlana looked furious still "Kiev? He expects you to travel that far? Why is he in Ukraine in the first place? He has no right! The Hetman forbade that family from entering Ukrainian soil! I thought the wards would prevent anyone from that family from setting foot here?"

"Kiev was made an exception, due to the ongoing territorial disputes with Russia during the Grindelwald era. The Czar would not approve of Ukrainian controlled wards around that city, still claimed as a territory under Moscow. The Hetman at the time, aligned with Grindelwald, wanted to avoid a confrontation, especially one that could lead to a two-front war. Of course, most aren't aware of this, having spied for Voldemort during the First War I happen to have...learned a few things."

"So are you going to meet him?"

"Yes. Maybe the swine has something important to say, maybe not, but we both know that he would not stop trying to contact me if I declined." Antonin replied as he grabbed a quill and parchment, quickly wrote a reply telling Lucius to meet him, and strapped it to the owl's leg.

Lucius Malfoy knew Antonin Dolohov would not be happy to see him. Because Dolohov had been so foolish as to get caught by the Aurors after the Dark Lord's fall, then admit to loyalty, so very un-Slytherin, but that's a Slav, Malfoy supposed. He could have gotten out, but the Cossack's so-called "honour" got in the way, very un-Death Eater like, to follow a Code of honour. And then there was his wife; "Svetlana" or some other such nonsense name, she was even worse, losing her temper the way she did at the...incident, she clearly needed to be disciplined like a good Pure-Blood wife like Narcissa would be, back in civilized Britain.

Malfoy scowled at that particular memory, but quickly regained his proper composure. Dolohov had surely felt the Mark burn too; after all so did Rodolphus and Rabastan LeStrange, Goyle, Mulciber, Nott, McNair, and Avery (the only other Death Eaters left not currently rotting in Azkaban, or Nurmengard), and Avery had been in America at the time. Yes, Dolohov had felt it, and ignored it, Malfoy decided. And that was betrayal, even with the Dark Lord dead, the Death Eaters were still sworn to eternal service. And the penalty for betrayal was death, as the traitors Snape and Regulus Black and the coward Karkaroff had learned.

"_But I need him alive, for the plan to work"_ Malfoy thought. Yes, Malfoy had a plan, one that could bring the Dark back to full power, more powerful than Voldemort could ever hope to be. _But I need the bloody Cossack alive_, _one way or the other, he will come...."_ Lucius thought as he stepped into Sirko Alley._  
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"_Constant Vigilance!"_ Antonin thought, echoing the late Auror Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody's catchphrase in his head as he walked through the largest Wizarding Alley in Ukraine (despite Russian claims, this was Ukraine in the eyes of the common people, both the Magical and Muggle variety), Sirko Alley. _"The honourless pig could be hiding in ambush anywhere..."_

But Antonin took one quick glance and saw him, standing between a Potion store and a Wandmaker's shop . Malfoy would stand out anywhere, and leave it to the arrogant, filthy swine to not even try to blend in. Antonin reached into his vest and drew his wand as he marched fast toward the coward, the swine, the real enemy of Wizarding Europe...He pointed his wand without even thinking, ignoring the stares he was getting from nearby shoppers...

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

Lucius's spell caught Antonin square in the chest, knocking him backwards and sending the wand flying from his hand.

People were now crowding around to watch the scene unfold. Lucius stepped forward, wand pointed at Antonin's chest. "Well well. It's been a long time, Dolohov. I thought you would be happy to see an old...friend again."

"Happy? Friend? You should be rotting in Azkaban, cur!" Antonin spat as he reached for his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Lucius disarmed him again. "I came here to talk, Dolohov, not to fight. But it seems as if...some.....types cannot restrain themselves. Dear oh dear, you cannot even control yourself?"

"What would I possibly want to talk to you about?"

"I know you felt the Mark burn, just 2 days ago. I know it is strengthen it's hold over your mind again, Antonin, despite your and your...wife's....advances in Occlumency"

"How did you know...? Alright, Malfoy, we can talk. But not here, we can talk in the pub across the alley."


End file.
